ESA title

Belfast to host ESA’s first Port Decarbonisation and Environmental Sustainability Workshop in September

Date: 17 September 2024
Venue: Belfast Harbour Commission 
Cost: No charge for registered participants

 

Register for the event

Background

According to the International Energy Agency, shipping accounted for 2% of global energy-related emissions in 2022. With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aiming to halve this figure by 2050 in an industry still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, taking steps to decarbonise ports is a priority.

This event will examine the needs and priorities of the port sector around the themes of decarbonisation and sustainability and explore possible roles for current and emerging space data and services in supporting the green transition of port ecosystems. 

Workshop overview

This one-day workshop will be hosted by the Belfast Harbour Commission on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA). The workshop will examine industry requirements for decarbonisation in known priority areas including: 

  • onshore power
  • green shipping corridors 
  • uptake of renewable energy solutions
  • impact of changing Net Zero regulations in 2025

Efficiency gains achievable through the digitalisation of port operations will be examined including monitoring the impact of decarbonisation on port air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality. 

Emerging solutions enabled by space data and services will be presented and their potential for commercial exploitation by the port industry will be explored.

How can space help with port decarbonisation?

Applications aimed at reducing carbon emissions through space technologies are being developed across multiple sectors. This event will look at how space data and innovative technologies can help ports address their key sustainability challenges. These include:
•    Optimisation and energy efficiency technologies applied to the port sector.
•    Vessel efficiency focused on data, software or autonomy.
•    Autonomous vessels and port vehicles including subsystems such as control systems and sensors.
•    New measures driving port decarbonisation including sensors and robotic systems.
•    Port operations optimisation and digitisation.
•    Digital tools such as for port emissions monitoring.
•    Opportunities to introduce new technologies into the maritime sector.

Event Programme

A draft agenda can be seen below (a full agenda will be published shortly):

08.30 – 09.30    Registration and Refreshments
09.30 - 10.00    Welcome and Introductions
  • Belfast Harbour Commission - Kyle Flaningan
  • European Space Agency - Geraldine Naja, Director, CIC
  • UKSA
  • Belfast City Council
10.00 – 11.30    Port Ecosystems, Current Status and Future Directions

Session Chair - Belfast Harbour Commission

  • Port Industry Challenges - Mark Simmonds, Chief Executive, British Ports Association
  • Green Shipping Corridors - Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director of Maritime and Ports, Connected Places Catapult
  • Onshore Power - Speaker TBC
  • Environmental Sustainability - Alan Wells, Founder, Redshift Associates
11.30 – 11.40    Break
11.40 - 13:00   Delivery Pathways and Funding Options

Session Chair - UKSA

  • Port Decarbonization Innovation Network - James Lovatt, Innovation Lead, Future Maritime Technologies, Innovate UK
  • UKSA Space Applications for Port and Maritime - Chris Hall, Space Applications Delivery Lead, UKSA
  • ESA Space Solutions - Rita Rinaldo, Head of Applications, Projects and Studies Division
  • Northern Ireland Perspectives - Robert Hill
13.00 – 13.30   Lunch, Network and Platform Demonstrations
  • CACHE Net-Zero Platform - Geospatial Insight
  • Digital Port Platform - Sinay
  • 5G MASS - TIM
13.30 – 14.40   Panel 1.  Emerging Technologies-Industry Use Cases

Session Chair - Redshift Associates

  • Port Digitisation -  PD Ports (Speaker TBC)
  • Autonomous road vehicles in ports – Daniela Petrovich, Co-Founder, Darwin Innovation Group 
  • Port IT Services 5G Connectivity - Laura O’Neill, Digital Transformation Manager, Belfast Harbour Commission    
  • Marine Sustainability - Quillon Harpham, Technical Director, Floods and Water Management, HR Wallingford 
  • Port services – Andy Wells, Geospatial Insight
14.45 – 15.45   Panel 2.  Opportunities for Collaborations – SME Use Cases

Session Chair - ESA BASS

  • Port Maritime Automation - Paolo Pagano, CNIT
  • Digital port platform - Thierry  Ducellier, Sinay
  • Remote monitoring and control of semi-autonomous vessels – Ghazaleh Kia, Seafar NV
  • Port logistics – TBC
  • Sirius Constellation – TBC
15.45  Summary and Wrap Up Session

Who should attend?

This exciting event will interest port operators, users, and stakeholders with ambitions towards decarbonization and Net Zero port operations; service providers offering relevant transferable technologies from the space and other sectors, and representatives from the SME sector looking for markets for their early stage (TRL 4-6 use cases) capabilities.  

 

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24 May 2024
Last updated at 22 July 2024 - 13:32